Mississippi State Basketball: 4 takeaways from Bulldogs loss to Alabama
By James Bowers
Mississippi State basketball came up on the short end of a physical, foul-heavy contest with the Alabama Crimson Tide Tuesday, dropping the game by a 10 point count, 68-58.
The verdict marks four consecutive wins for the Crimson at MSU’s Humphrey Coliseum; the first time that UA has achieved this feat against Mississippi State basketball. Avery Johnson‘s Tide turns their record to 8-5, while Ben Howland’s bunch falls to 9-4 with the loss.
An observer could say that the 10 point score was closer than the game. Though they trailed State early, the Tide enjoyed a 21-4 run in the first half and gained control of the game for good around the midpoint of the second half.
Though frequent UA fouls and quicker play by State allowed the Maroon squad to pull within six in the closing minutes, Bama was able to milk the clock in the closing moments. MSU did make it a game as the second half began, with an 8-0 run in the first couple minutes.
They eventually tied the game at 42 with 11:20 left to play, as Bama’s foul-prone defense had ‘Dogs making regular trips to the free throw line and players such as Tyson Carter and Mario Kegler ground out scores.
However, State’s poor transition offense, coupled with Alabama’s excellence in that department and aptitude for rebounding, proved to be their undoing on a Tuesday night in Starkville. Here are four things we took from the first of two Bama-Miss State contests this season.